SA U18 International Series – Day 2 Match Report!
The second day of the series opened with SA ‘A’ looking to bounce back from their first defeat, while Georgia aimed to build on their historic win over England.
SA U18 vs Georgia U18
From the outset, the A side stamped their authority, storming into a commanding lead with Thomas Muller crossing from a powerful 20-metre maul, followed by tries from vice-captain Migael Turner and Ncutu Kepe. In amongst the A’s dominance was a well-worked Georgia maul of their own, but the moment of the half came when Uithaler sparked a flowing backline move finished by Eathen van Biljon. Before the break, SA ‘A’ camped in Georgia’s half yet again and turned pressure into points for a fifth try, going into halftime firmly in control.
Georgia opened the second half with an early score, but the A side quickly reasserted themselves as Potgieter powered over. From there, SA ‘A’ dazzled quick taps, punishing scrums, and slick handling left Georgia chasing shadows. The visitors grabbed another through Gabriel Razmadze, but at 19-50 the comeback door was firmly shut. Nathan Anzke added a late try to seal a commanding 57-19 victory.
youtube highlights of the game:
SA U18 vs Ireland U18
The second game was the headline clash South Africa against Ireland, both unbeaten so far. Ireland proved a sterner challenge than France had been for the hosts in the opening exchanges, with noticeable changes in the SA XV seeing Groenewald at fly-half and Adams starting on the bench. The home side dominated territory but could only convert three times in the first half, with Jayden Brits’ try sending the Landbou crowd into raptures for a 17-0 lead at the break.
Seconds after the restart, a fumble from Ireland’s kick-off reception allowed SA to spread the ball wide for Mgedezi to score in the corner. That sparked a run of 31 unanswered points, including a penalty try after repeated Irish infringements in their own 22. It took 46 minutes for Ireland to score, courtesy of captain Harry Goslin, but SA responded instantly through Jayden Afrikaner. Ireland finished strongly but lacked the cutting edge to mount a real challenge, and Adams crossed late to complete a 45-5 statement win.
youtube highlights of the game:
England U18 vs France U18
The final match saw England and France meet in a battle for their first win. France flew out of the blocks, leading 15-3 inside 20 minutes. England’s Captain showed leadership and opened the scoring before Lorenzo Laouina produced a length-of-the-field effort to help the French dot down again. England hit back, but a poor clearance gifted Yanis Brosset a try, followed quickly by more broken-play brilliance. France’s scrum dominance was rewarded when Louis Favrau added another before halftime, sending them into the break 34-10 ahead.
The second half was tighter early on, but France continued to look more dangerous. Brosset thought he had his second, only for it to be ruled out for an infringement in the build up to the try. Tempers flared with a midfield scuffle, and while England cut the deficit through Declan Treacey’s incisive line, France hit back almost immediately. Another brawl this time involving sideline equipment saw two yellow cards handed out. England’s discipline collapsed in the final minutes as France scored twice more, sealing a dominant 53-20 victory.
